Apparatus for removing snow and ice from rails.



D. O. JOYCE.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING wow AND ICE mom RAILS.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV, 10, 1910. RENEWED DBO. 23,1912. 1,101,503, Fa-tented June 23, 191i 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

D. O. JOYCE.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW AND ICE FROM RAILS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1910. RENEWED DBO. 23,1912. 1,101,503. Patented June 23, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Q u fimmym ITED STATES Pr.

DOROIHYC; JOYCE, OFPI-IILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNUIR- SF GIVE-HALF FRANK D. THOMASON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOXV AND ICE FROM 18..

Application filed l Iovember 10, 1910, Serial No. 591,633. Renewed December To all whom it may concern ,provideia device which is movable on the rails with an electrically heated shoe for melting the ice on such rails.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, will in part be hereinafter more fully. described.

Inthe drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,Figure I, is a sectional view more or less diagrammatically showing an apparatus having my improvement applied thereto.

Fig. II, is a detail showing the melting shoes in side view. Fig. III, is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the melting shoes. I IV, is a sectional view on the line IV, IV, of Fi III. Fig. V, is a transverse sectional view on the line V, V, offFig. III, also showing the upper part-of therail. F ig. VI, is a side view of the shoe for taking up the water. Fig. VII, is a longitudinal sectional view through the shoe for taking up the water. Fig. V ill, 1s a view on the line VIII, VIII, of Fi VII, also showing the upper part of the rail. Fig. IX, is a sectional-view showing the electrical connection at one end of the melt-- ing shoe. Fig. is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form of shoe for taking, up the water.

I have shown my invention as embodied inv an organized apparatus which may be propelled along astreet railway in the usual manner. Said dev1ce consists of a body structure 1, which is mounted on wheels 2, 2. Said device is adapted to be propelled in theusual manner a motor and by a troll eylconnection 3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. A I I, .L tented In ()l\ .r to melt the ice which accumu lates on the rai s, I have provided my device with melting shoes l, d. While I have shown herein two mel ing shoes, it is ohvious that one shoe may be used, or any number of shoes may he used without. doparting from the spirit of my invention. Said melting shoes are carried by a supporting f'ame 5. As herein shown, the shoes are connected the frame by ciains (3, and 7. It is obvious, however, that any other flexible connection may be substituted if desired for the chains herein shown. Each chain is connected at one end to a suitable lug on the frame and at the other end to a similar lug on the shoe. The chains are so mounted as to incline toward each other. Any slight obstruction on the rail. will. therefore, cause the :ij orward end of the shoes b0 dip downward and increase the oiliciency of contact between the shoe and the rails. The shoes are prevented from lateral movement and held in alinement with. the rails by guiding bars 8, and l), which supported from the frame 5, by arms IO, 10. These bars allow the slices to move up and down freely and to a. certain extent follow any slight curvu-rture in the rails. frame 5, is pivoted to one end of bar 11 The other end of the bar 11, is pivoted to a lug 12, mounted on the body structure at the apparatus. This bar 11. serves to drag frame and the shoes along the rails. frame 5, is provided it an eye 13, he, each end thereof, and a cl'lain is connect d, at its ends to the eve in the f i connected intermediate its ends or other flexible member 15. T extends over a. pullev and to a lever 17. By swing: the lever l frame 5, and the melt-rig shoe suppo thereby may at any time he lifted fr 7 C ails, or by swinging; the lever in site direction, the shoes may be low to the rail, so that the entire weig, shoes and :trame. 5, vill be carried by the rail.

In order to heat the shoes, I have pro" vided a generator 18, which may he i suitable design and said generator, in shown, is directly connected motor 19. The motor 19, is connected through the usual switch 20, with the .trolley line, and when said switch is closed, the motor may be operated, which will in turn operate the generator. I have shown the usual motor starting rheostat at 21.

The current from the generator 18, passes through the lines 22, and 23, and the cut out 24, to the melting shoe. The wires leading to the melting shoe pass through a suitable in sula'ting sleeve 25,.which is held in the usual manner within a screw threaded cap 26. The line 22, is connected at one end to a resistance bar 27, and the opposite end of said resistance bar is connected with the line 23. Said resistance bar is supported by the ter minals of the wires 22, and 23, and lies within the hollow melting shoe. Said resistance bar as herein shown, extends in zig zag direction, so as to increase the surface thereof. The shoe is closed by a removable plate 28, which is secured to the body of the shoe by suitable screws, or in any other desired manner. An asbestos pad 29, is secured to the under surface of the plate 28, and being a non-conductor ofheat, will tend to throw the heating effect of the resistance bar 27, downward into the portions of the shoe which contact with the rails. A sheet of insulation 30, is Placed in the bottom of the pocket in the melting shoe to prevent short 1 circuitin throu 'h the shoe r0 er.

In the operation of my device, the shoes are lowered into contact with the rail by the I manipulation of the lever 17, and the switch controlling the motor closed, which will at once start into action the generator, Upon. closing the cut out 24, the current from the generator passes through the resistance bars 27, and thus heats the melting shoes which in turn will melt the ice by virtue of' their contact with the rails.

In order to prevent the water resulting from the melting of the ice from refreezing assoon as my electrically heated shoe has passed over the rail, I have provided a device for taking up the water from the rails.

Said device as shown in Figs. VI, VII, and Jill, is made in form similar to the melting w shoe, and consists of a central portion 31,

and two pivoted sections 32, and 33. The central section 31, of the shoe is formed with a p ocket 34, which is connected by a passage 35, to a flexible tube 36. The sections 32, and 33, are also provided with pockets 37, and passages lead to said fiexibletube 36. The passages for the sections 32,.and 33, pass through the pivot bolts supporting the same.

Atthe lower face-of the shoe for taking up the water, I have formed a rib, which is adapted to run in the groove in the upper of the rail. Slots are formed in said rib "which lead to the pockets 34, and 37. Said slots also ertendfroin one sectionof the shoeto the adjacent sections and to the forward end of the shoe, so that when said shoe slides along the rail, a passage is formed underneath, the same to allow the water which accumulates in the groove of the rail to pass underneath the shoe and not be thrown therefrom, as would be the case if the shoe was provided with a solid forward portion.

The shoe for taking up the water is supported by a frame 38, through the chains 39,

and 40. Said chains are attached to suitable lugs on the shoe and the frame respectively. Said chains also are inclined outwardly so that said shoe may rise and pass over any slight obstruction on the rail. Side bars 41, 41,are provided for. maintaining the shoe which takes up the water in proper alinement with the rail. These side bars are car ricd by arms 42, rigidly secured to the frame 38. Thefrainc 38, at its forward end is pivoted to a bar 43, which in turn is pivoted to a lug 44, carried by the body structure of the apparatus. This bar 43, serves as a means for dragging the frame 38, and the shoe for taking up the water, along the rails. A chain 45, is connected to the frame 38, near each' end thereof, and intermediate its ends is connected to another chain 46. The chain 46, passes over the pulley 47, and is connected with the lever 48. By manipulating the lever 48, the shoe for taking up the water will be raised from the rails, or lowered into contact therewith.

The flexible pipe 36, is connected to a suction pump 49', which is supported by a downwardly projecting arm 50. The shaft 51, of the suction pump 49, is directly connected with a motor 52, which is operated from the trolley, and controlled by a switch 53, which may be of any desired construction. The water lifted by .the suction pump from the rail, is forced through a pipe 54, into a reservoir 55, carried by the'app aratus.

In Fig. X, I have shown a slightly modifled form of shoe for taking up the water from the rail. Said shoc consists of a body section 56, in which is formed a pocket 57, and a curved'passage 58, leading from the pocket 57, underneath the same to the front end of the shoe. A pipe 59 extends down into the pocket 57, to a point below the ledge 60. The waten lying in the groove in the rail. will be forced along the inclined passage and upward into the pocket. The suction pipe 59, extending beneath the-surface of the water and'connected with the suction pump, will lift the water into the storage tank or reservoir 55.

While I have shown an organized apparatus for melting the snow and taking up the water, it is obvious that my electrically heated shoe for melting the snow or ice may the snow or ice in front of the .wheels melted. It is also obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention I claim 1. An apparatus for removing ice from rails, including in combination, means for melting the ice, and means for taking up theresulting water from the rails.-

2. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, an electrically heated shoe for melting the ice, and means for taking up the resulting Water from the rails.

8. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, means for melting the ice, and suction means for tak ing up the resulting Water from the rails.

l. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, an electrically heated shoe for melting the ice, and

suction means for taking up the resulting Water from the rails.

5. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, means for melting the ice, and means for taking up the resulting Water, including a hollow shoe and suction means connected with such hol- 10W shoe.

6. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, a storage tank, an electricallyheated shoe and means for lifting the resulting Water from the r ils to said storage tank.

7. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, an electrically heated shoe, a storage tank, means for taking up the Water in the rear of the melting shoe and conveying the same to said storage tank.

8. An ice melter for rails including in combination, a shoe having a rib adapted to engage and follow the groove in the rails,

and means for electrically heating said shoe.

9. An ice melter for rails including in combination, a shoe made in sections, means for flexibly connecting said sections, said sections having a ribadapted to engage the groove in the rail, and means for electrically heating said shoe.

10. An ice melterfor rails-including in combination, a shoe, an arm supporting said shoe, means for yieldingly pressing said shoe against the rails, said shoe having a rib adapted to engage the groove in the rails, and means for electrically heating said shoe.

11. An ice melter for rails including in combination, a shoe, an arm to Which said shoe is pivotally connected, means for yieldingly pressing said arm for holding the shoe in contact With the rails, said shoe comprising sections flexibly connected together, a rib formed on said shoe and engaging grooves in the rails, and means for electrically heating the shoe.

12. An apparatus for removing ice from rails including in combination, a melting shoe, a frame, flexible connection between said frame and said shoe, bars for holding said shoe in alinement with the rails, and means whereby said frame may be raised and lowered.

13. An ice melter for rails including in combination, a hollow shoe having a rib adapted to engage and follow the groove in the rails, a resistance bar located Within said shoe, a plate for covering said shoe, a heat absorbing pad located between said 'plate and said resistance bar, and means for electrically heating said shoe.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto .signed' my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this ninth day of November 1910.

DOROTHY C. JOYCE. YTi tnesses James H. BELL, E. L. Fi'iLLnnToN. 

